The Equestrian Wind Mage: The Storm War
by Lord Siravant
Summary: Two years after Ganon's defeat, Equestria is prospering. Princess Twilight has put together a festival to celebrate all the friendships Equestria has formed. But at the height of the celebrations, a new foe strikes, capturing several of the Princesses. Now Vaati, Twilight, and their friends must summon help from all over Equestria and beyond, including the mysterious Hippogriffs...
1. Chapter 1

**I return from the dead at long last. You've probably all been wondering why it's been forever since I wrote anything. Long story short, depression and trapped in an endless cycle of soul-sucking sadness that stole away my will to live as much as my will to write.**

 **But then I bought the MLP movie.**

 **And I fucking loved it.**

 **And just like that, my creative drive returned once more, in full force.**

 **So now, to make up for all those months of waiting and wondering, I've begun this side-project of EWM, based on the movie. Bear in mind as you read, this is an AU of EWM, where the events of Seasons 2.5 and 3 never happened, and Twilight was ascended to an alicorn after Ganon's defeat. Some things will be the same as the movie, but most of it will deviate in various ways from the original.**

 **With that in mind, please enjoy. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow.**

 **XXXXXX000XXXXXX**

 **Chapter One: Worst Party Crasher Ever**

 _Two years have passed since the defeat of Ganon, and Equestria is prospering as it never has before. With the slaying of Demise, the source of Ganon's power and immortal curse, the many monster tribes that once served the forces of darkness have found a new life and a new home in Equestria._

 _And it would not have been possible had it not been for the bravery, compassion, and unbridled heroism demonstrated by a motley group of friends and comrades who dared stand against impossible odds and won the day._

 _Twilight Sparkle, the newly-crowned Princess of Friendship and the bearer of the Element of Magic._

 _Rarity, the fabulous and fashionable wielder of the Element of Generosity._

 _Applejack, the strong and righteous wielder of the Element of Honesty._

 _Rainbow Dash, the fearless and steadfast bearer of the Element of Honesty._

 _Pinkie Pie, the energetic and playful wielder of the Element of Laughter._

 _Fluttershy, the quiet and quaint protector of the Element of Kindness._

 _Chrysalis, the haughty but determined Queen of the Changelings._

 _Gilda, a gruff but loyal Griffon from the Griffon Kingdom of Griffonstone._

 _Trixie, the flamboyant and dazzling student of Princess Luna._

 _Rover, the hardworking Alpha of the Rockjaw Diamond Dogs of Rambling Rock Ridge._

 _Daring Do, the legendary adventurer, children's novelist, and mother of Rainbow Dash._

 _Ahuizotl, the enigmatic former archnemesis and now lover of Daring Do._

 _And last but not least, Vaati, the Sorcerer of Winds and now husband to Princess Luna._

 _Since that fateful battle for Equestria, ponykind is now more determined than ever to spread the message of friendship across the world, and who better to deliver that message than the Princess of Friendship?_

 _Twilight Sparkle has taken it upon herself to throw a grand celebration in honor of all the ponies and peoples of Equis: the Festival of Friendship._

 _But as the festivities get underway, dark forces stir. Though Ganon may be gone, other villains are more than ready to take his place. And a new foe, having grown his power in secret in the mysterious south far beyond Equestria's borders, has now set his sights on Equestria, and the power contained within the Four Princesses…_

XXXXXX

" _Oooooohhhhmmmm_ …"

Heedless of the preparations and partying outside, Princess Twilight Sparkle chanted in an effort to maintain her cool as she basked in the multicolored sunlight filtering through a stained-glass window depicting herself.

" _Oooooohhhhhhmmm_ my goodness, I can't handle this! Nothing is working!"

A futile effort, it seemed.

"Twilight, _seriously_ , everything is under control," Prince Vaati huffed, folding his arms and rolling his eyes at his best friend's antics. Ever since his coronation and marriage to Princess Luna, Vaati had changed his look to something more regal, having finally forgone his trademark hat and outfit in favor of a crown and robe that bore some similarities to his Reborn form. "The best party planners in all of Equestria have combined their talents to put this thing together, and so far everything has gone without a hitch. People and ponies from all over the world are pouring in by the hour, and so far, everyone is behaving themselves. The Changelings even said Chrysalis is thinking of attending. Even _Discord_ is limiting his chaos to pure entertainment purposes."

"Ugh, that's not what I'm worried about!" Twilight groused as Spike came into the room, carrying a bunch of scrolls in his arms.

"Then what _are_ you worried about?" Spike asked, confused. "By the way, I got all your charts and graphs here."

Twilight sighed and turned her back to them. "I'm about to ask the most royal princesses in Equestria for a huge favor. What if they reject me?"

She lifted her head and glanced at the pale hand now resting on her shoulder before looking up at the smiling, youthful face of the Wind Mage. "The most royal princesses, you say? As in, your mentor, who has been like a second mother to you, your sister-in-law, who has babysat you since you were little, and last but certainly not least, my _wife_ , who will happily do anything I ask of her, especially if it's for you? Or are we talking about three different princesses here?"

Twilight couldn't help but smile back, grateful as always that Vaati was there to keep her grounded and drive away her anxieties. "Thanks, Vaati. I-I think I'm ready now. Come on, Spike."

With Spike and Vaati following from behind, Princess Twilight magically opened the doors that led into the newly-renovated Canterlot Castle Throne Room, which had been utterly demolished during the final battle with Demise two years ago. It just so happened the other three alicorns were gathered together, taking note of Twilight's arrival.

"Good morning, Princesses!" Twilight began. "Thank you all for seeing me. I have an idea that will make the Friendship Festival the most wonderful celebration that Equestria has ever seen!"

As Vaati took his place next to his beloved wife, Celestia replied with a motherly smile, "Yes, Twilight, we are very excited."

"Ponies, monsters, and other denizens of Equestria have been arriving all morning!" Cadance declared. "Even Queen Chrysalis has decided to come tomorrow to join the celebrations!"

Nuzzling her lover, Luna added, "I'd like to think it's to see us, but I think Songbird Serenade _might_ be the bigger attraction."

Vaati leaned down to kiss Luna on her cheek, eliciting a giggle from the Goddess of the Night. "Not as attractive as you, moon-dove."

"Ahem," Twilight began awkwardly before getting back into her groove. "Anyways, yeah, she's pretty much the ' _mane_ ' event."

Vaati affixed her with his patented and trademarked 'are-you-kidding-me' stare. "Did you really just…?"

"Yep!" Twilight chirped. "Anyways, in order to make it extra special, I could really use your help. Spike?"

Humming some unknown fanfare, Spike wheeled up a large whiteboard with a drawing of the stage. "Songbird Serenade's performance is not scheduled to start until after you begin the sunset." Picking up a marker in her magical grip, she drew on the board as she continued, "And based on my precise calculations, to get the very best lighting for the stage, Princess Celestia, I was hoping you could make sure the sun stays about 28.1 degrees to the south. And Princess Luna, if you could raise the moon 62 degrees north at the same time, it would reflect the sunlight on the other side and really frame the entire stage perfectly!"

All the other royals were perfectly silent. But before Luna could break it, Twilight interrupted, "But wait, there's more! Cadance, if you could use your crystal magic to create an aurora above the stage, the sun and the moon will shine through it and create a truly amazing light show!"

To reinforce her point, a burst of magic blossomed over the whiteboard as Spike climbed on top and declared, "Presenting Songbird Serenade!" as he waved around a toy of the famous singer.

He promptly lost his balance and fell to the floor. "Ta-da…" he weakly groaned.

Twilight forced a grin as she spread her wings out in a 'what-do-you-think' gesture.

The Prince and Princesses all were silent in awkward confusion.

Vaati was the first to break it as he muttered to Luna, "I can see now why she was worried about you saying no."

This prompted Luna to ask in a flat tone, "So, what you're saying is, you want us to move both the sun _and_ the moon for the party?"

"Well, I'd do it myself, except I don't have your magic," Twilight replied with an awkward laugh.

"Twilight," Celestia finally spoke up, stepping forward. "Each of us uses our powers to serve Equestria in our own way." Lifting Twilight's chin, she continued, "You are the Princess of Friendship. You already have all the magic you need."

"So…that'd be a no?" Twilight responded weakly.

"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight," Vaati shook his head, kneeling down to her level and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're overanalyzing again. That's always been your weakness. Besides, if you really need help, I can just ask Nigellas to get some from Shanzom. With as much magic as the Golden Wizzrobe knows, I'm pretty sure he can do something to make it all look good."

Twilight sighed and hung her head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Vaati stood up straight and smirked. "Tell you what? How about I go with you down to the festival and see how everyone's doing. Maybe Rarity could use a little more help to get the stage ready."

Twilight smiled. "Okay."

With that settled, Vaati turned to Luna, and they shared a quick kiss. "I'll see you in a couple of hours, Luna-bear."

Luna giggled. "You've no shortage of nicknames for me, do you, my love?"

"You love it and you know it. Let's go, Twilight."

XXXXXX

"Aw, _yeah_!" Rainbow Dash cried as she pulverized another cloud at lightning speed. "Skies cleared and ready for the Festival!"

Meanwhile, Pinkie blew up a balloon and tied it up into a balloon animal version of Discord. The real deal, hiding somewhere, promptly deflated the balloon, creating a strong enough breeze to send the big-name party planner flying. Meanwhile, the balloon blasted past Fluttershy, startling her singing birds.

"Head's up, Fluttershy!" Pinkie yelled, darting past her. "Out of control balloon!"

Fluttershy smiled. "I don't think it's the balloon that's out of control, Pinkie Pie."

She then shared a wink with Discord as he poked his head out of a nearby barrel before the Spirit of Chaos burst into laughter.

"Hey, y'all!" Applejack declared, pulling a cart behind her. "Anyone up fer some free samples'a mah family's apple cider?"

Rainbow Dash promptly nicked a mug out of Applejack's hoof. "Loved it! Thank you!"

Applejack was then surrounded by several thirsty Miniblins, chattering away as they tried to push each other out of the way so they could get the cider first. "Okay, y'all," Applejack chuckled, handing out mugs to each of them. "There's plenty 'nuff t'go 'round."

Rarity was humming to herself as she painstakingly fit a diamond on a red bow on the bottom of the stage. Leaving thirsty customers to pilfer her contents at their leisure, Applejack came up behind Rarity and said, "Wow, that's a mighty fine job you're doin', Rarity." Then, indicating the rest of the currently barren stage, she added, "'Course, ya might not git done till _after_ the festival."

"Applejack, darling," Rarity tittered, "anypony can do 'fine'. Twilight asked _me_ , and therefore she asked for _fabulous_ , and fabulous takes time!"

Flying down to meet them, Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, "Fabulous takes _forever_. But _awesome_ …" She then promptly became a blur of motion as she set up all the bows and gems around the stage and reappeared. "…can get done in four seconds flat! Faster if I do my Sonic Rainboom!"

"Personally, I believe you've done enough damage as it is," a deep baritone uttered from behind.

The three ponies all turned to see a familiar Darknut clad in black armor inspecting Rainbow's rather crude handiwork. Rarity immediately broke out into a wide grin. "Maulgrim, dear! You came!" she cried as she went over and hugged the towering knight.

"Of course," the Black Knight replied, bowing grandly and kissing Rarity's hoof. "Any excuse to see you again, my fair maiden."

"Ugh, get a room, you two," Rainbow uttered.

"How rude!" Rarity snapped, affronted. "Really, Rainbow Dash! First you have to do that truly wretched job with the bows and gems, and now you have to suggest such uncouth behavior between myself and this gentlecolt!"

"Pssh, it's fine!" Rainbow dismissively replied.

"When one places quantity above quality, you get the worst of both worlds," Maulgrim rumbled.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack added as Rainbow promptly tried to race off with another mug of cider, but not before a Miniblin grabbed it at the same time, and the two of them immediately began squabbling over the beverage, wasting it all in the end by spilling it all over themselves in the struggle. "Like them Flim Flam Brothers had t'learn the hard way!"

It was at this moment that Twilight, Vaati, and Spike arrived, with Twilight checking over her list. "Okay, just 218 things left to do, and we're ready!"

" _Just_ 218 things?" Vaati groused. "Didn't we just have a discussion about overanalyzing everything?"

"Hey, Twilight!" the rest of the Mane Six chorused. "Hey, Vaati!"

"Hello, Spike," Rarity added warmly.

"H-hey, Rarity," Spike answered with a blush.

"Prince Vaati, 'tis good to see you are well," Maulgrim greeted, tilting his head in respect.

"I'm glad you could make it," Vaati replied. "If you're looking for Nigellas, he's with Overseer Shanzom and the other Wizzrobes over by Trixie's magic show. They're apparently all collaborating on something big."

"I will speak to him soon," Maulgrim said. "But I do believe my lady Rarity could use my help fixing Lady Dash's mess."

"Hey!"

"So what'd the other Princesses think'a your idea?" Applejack eagerly asked.

"I bet they loved it!" Pinkie Pie chirped in the background as she continued to chase after Discord's balloon.

Twilight sighed. "Not exactly. They think I can make this day perfect without their magic."

"To be fair, Twilight, that was…an _unusual_ favor to ask of them," Vaati said.

"Well, I say they're absolutely right, darling," Rarity replied as she hung up another bow and gem. "Maulgrim, dear, could you start on the other end so we can meet in the middle?"

"As you wish," the Darknut Lord rumbled and strode over to the other side of the stage and set to work.

"Anyways, Twilight, this whole festival was your idea," Rarity continued. "And all of us firmly believe that you are up to the task!"

"But what if I'm not?" Twilight asked, her insecurity returning full-force. "What if Songbird Serenade hates the stage?! What if nobody makes a new friend?! And if I fail at the Festival, then _who am I_?!"

Vaati was about to open his mouth to try and talk more sense into Twilight (again) when Pinkie abruptly beat him to it. "Twilight. _Look at me_ ," she uttered, putting her face against Twilight's so that their eyes met. "This will be the biggest celebration Equestria has ever seen! As the Princess of Friendship, you _cannot_ fail! This day will define who you are! The pressure is intense! It's almost too much for any single pony to handle! _AAAAAAAAAAAGHHH_!"

Awkward silence followed yet again, until Vaati flatly spoke up, "Pinkie Pie, have you ever thought about stepping back for a moment and thinking, 'maybe I should close my mouth and never talk to anyone ever again'?"

"Nope!" Pinkie chirped, jumping back into place alongside the other Element Bearers. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, I wouldn't worry! She's got us!"

As Applejack helped Twilight up, music started up, and Vaati groaned. "Oh _no_ , not another song cue."

" _It's time t'show them what you've got_!" Applejack sang.

" _It's time to go and get things done_!" Rarity sang.

" _But you don't have to do it on your own_!" Fluttershy sang.

" _Cuz you've got friends right here to make it fun_!" Pinkie sang.

" _We got this! You got this!_

 _We got this together_!" they all chorused.

Rainbow coaxed Twilight into the air, dragging Spike along with them.

" _Sometimes the pressure gets you down,_

 _And the clouds are dark and gray_!" Rainbow sang as she punched a hole through a thick raincloud, letting sunlight filter directly onto Twilight.

" _Just kick them off_

 _And let the sun shine through!_

 _And as scary as it seems,_

 _More help is on the way,_

 _'Cause friends have friends that want to help out too_!" Rainbow sang as the Wonderbolts, including her smiling mother, Daring Do, flew around them in formation.

" _We got this! You got this!_

 _We got this together_!" everybody chorused.

" _It's the Festival of Friendship!_

 _And we can get it done_!" the Darknuts chorused.

" _A festival that they won't forget_!" Shanzom boasted.

" _A party to be proud of,_

 _A day of games and fun!_

 _Just you wait and see!_

 _A magic day in perfect harmony_!" everyone in Canterlot sang together.

" _You got this_!" Fluttershy sang as she and Twilight were bear-hugged by her bear.

" _We got this together_!"

" _With friends and family,_

 _You are never alone!_

 _If you need help, we got your back!_

 _You can be honest,_

 _Let your problems be known_!" Applejack sang.

" _Cuz you got us,_

 _To pick up the slack!_

 _We got this_!" the Apple Family sang.

"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh uttered right before biting into an apple pie.

"We got this together!" everyone sang.

" _Pay attention to the details,_

 _Every gem even-spaced,_

 _Make the colors perfect_!" Rarity sang as she attached numerous heart-shaped diamonds to the stage.

" _Taking one or two to taste_!" Spike sang as he promptly ate one of said gems.

" _Inside and out,_

 _Beautiful throughout,_

 _Generosity is what we're all about_!" Rarity sang as she handed Spike a basket of gems to keep him occupied.

" _We got this_!" Spike sang through a mouthful of gems.

" _You got this_!" Rarity sang.

" _We got this together_!" Rarity and Twilight sang together.

" _Today needs to be perfect,_

 _It all comes down to me,_

 _I don't know if I'm ready_

 _For all the things they need me to be._

 _I am the Princess of Friendship,_

 _But that it more than just a crown._

 _It's a promise to bring ponies together,_

 _And never let anypony down_!" Twilight sang as she flew all over the city, observing the festival and its attendees.

" _We've got an awful lot to bake!_

 _Each pony needs a piece of cake_!" Pinkie sang as she and a pair of Pyromancer Wizzrobes busily worked on a massive quintuple-decker cake, the Fire Wizzrobes using their magic to bake it after Pinkie had finished mixing the batter.

Her attention was promptly diverted as Trixie, Shanzom and Nigellas did a special effects check for their magic show.

"Oh please! _Here's something better we can do_!" Nigellas sang as magical fireworks exploded over their heads.

" _We're gonna need some more supplies,_

 _To make a really big surprise!_

 _She'll be so shocked,_

 _She's sure to love it too!_

 _You got this_!" Pinkie sang. " _We got this together_!"

" _It's the Festival of Friendship,_

 _Together we are one!_

 _A day we will never forget!_

 _And now everything is ready,_

 _So when the day is done_ ," everyone, pony and nonpony alike, sang as they danced.

" _The weather_!" Rainbow sang.

" _The banquet_!" Applejack sang.

" _The style_!" Rarity sang.

" _And music_!" Fluttershy sang.

" _All will be in perfect harmony_!" everyone ended together.

Meanwhile, to close off the song, Pinkie's party cannon fired into the air, sending her giant cake flying. Twilight had only enough time to realize it was falling right over her before impact, and she was buried under five layers of delicious cake.

Which promptly melted into an unholy, sticky mess of cake batter and buttercream icing.

Everyone gasped at the mess as Twilight's head burst out of it.

" _See_?!" one of the Fire Wizzrobes cried out angrily at its partner off to the side. "I _told_ you we didn't bake it long enough, but did you listen to me?! _Nooooooooooo_!"

"Well _excuse_ me for deciding that 'bake for 35 to 38 minutes' meant _BAKE FOR 35 MINUTES_!" the other Pyromancer screamed back.

"I told you to err on the side of caution, Rhastabel! 37 minutes was plenty of time!"

"How would you know, Demetrius?! You've never baked a cake, especially with fire magic!"

" _NEITHER HAVE YOU, YOU SODDERING BAG OF DISHRAGS_!"

" **Dishrags**?! _YOU TAKE THAT_ _ **BACK**_!"

"START FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS LIKE AN INTELLIGENT WIZZROBE AND MAYBE I WILL!"

"Boys, boys, boys!" Pinkie cried out, leaping out of her cannon and putting herself between the two (literally) steaming wizards. "This is supposed to be the _Friendship Festival_! Besides, my easy bake confetti cake cannon was _supposed_ to finish the baking process, but it apparently needs a _teensy-weensy_ bit of fine-tuning! You're both friends, so act like it and make up!"

Both Pyromancers looked affronted, until Demetrius finally caved and said, "I'm sorry I called you a pile of dishrags."

"I'm sorry I didn't follow your directions," Rhastabel wearily apologized.

"See? Now you're both friends again!" Pinkie beamed, squeeing as she squished the two Wizzrobes' faces together.

Twilight sighed at the fact she was totally being ignored due to the random argument. Her ears perked up as she suddenly heard ponies in the crowd whisper, "Look! It's Songbird Serenade!"

"Is it really her?" one stallion spoke up as he and several other ponies were gently pushed aside by two official-looking bodyguards decked out in suits and shades.

Behind them was Equestria's newest musical idol, whose hairstyle made Vaati want to chew on a rock until his teeth broke.

"Hiya!" Songbird Serenade introduced herself. "I'm looking for the pony in charge."

She promptly struck a dozen poses as cameras flashed all around her before she continued, "I need to set up for my sound check."

 _I think that hair of yours needs a reality check_ , Vaati wanted so badly to say out loud.

"Ms. Songbird Serenade?" Twilight spoke up, forcing herself out of the ruined cake, coated in icing and batter. "Um, I was just going to check on you!"

"Twilight, at least make an effort to look presentable," Vaati smirked before he cast a wind spell that blew all the icing and batter off of Twilight…and all over a nearby Moblin's chest. The pig-man's response was to lick it all off with its fingers without a care in the world, snorting in pleasure.

Setting her mane back into place, Twilight greeted, "I'm Princess Twilight. This is Prince Vaati. And sorry about the mess."

"Our main baker likes to experiment," Vaati offered a reply.

Songbird laughed in response. "We all go through that phase, Princess. Anyways, I…"

Suddenly the diva was cut off by a peal of thunder, startling everyone. As one, pony and monster alike turned towards the source of the noise to see thick, dark clouds gathering over the city alarmingly fast.

"Storm clouds?! I ordered perfect weather!" Twilight exclaimed. "Rainbow Dash!"

"Uh…I don't think those are storm clouds," Rainbow uncertainly replied as the roiling black clouds loomed over them all.

Vaati narrowed his eyes and said in a dark undertone, "Neither do I."

Ponies nervously chattered amongst themselves as the monsters, sensing something amiss, all began to converge in the plaza, drawing the weapons every one of them always carried, no matter what.

"Warriors, ready arms!" Maulgrim boomed, settling immediately into his leadership role. "This might be an attack! _On your guards_!"

"Magic users, to me!" Shanzom shouted. "Form a perimeter! Get the civilians behind us!"

"Why?!" Nigellas complained to the heavens. "Why does this kind of stuff always happen _just when things are going so well_?!"

Meanwhile, all the Lizalfos and Blins in the area rallied alongside the Darknuts as they assumed formation. "Form a battle line on me! Protect the royalty and civilians!" Maulgrim barked out orders, drawing his sword and shield.

Then, everyone watched as what appeared to be a pale blue pair of jagged eyes appeared from the murk.

No…those weren't eyes.

From out of the stormclouds emerged what could only be described as a large airship awash in dark, intimidating colors.

"Ooh!" Pinkie chirped, blissfully ignorant of the situation. "I bet those are the clowns I ordered!"

The airship roughly touched down, smashing a display of props and balloons for a clown's usage in the process.

"You are definitely _not_ the clowns I ordered," Pinkie uttered, finally realizing something wasn't right.

A ramp smacked down onto the ground, popping a discarded balloon animal in the process with a mournful squeal.

"Brian, _noooo_!" somepony wailed in the crowd.

Then, all watched as a small figure slowly descended the ramp, breathing heavily as they carried a metal box with that same jagged pattern on the ship. The diminutive creature then dumped the box on the ground with a grunt as it opened up to reveal itself as a megaphone. Clearing his throat, the creature brought out a mike and looked up at the gathered crowd.

His grin immediately fell at the sight of the grim-faced army of monsters looming rather menacingly over him. "Whoa, you guys look new. Uh, did…anybody else know about this? …No? Uh, okay then. Ahem…ponies of Equestria! And…whatever the heck you guys're supposed to be…We come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty _Storm King_!"

A banner unfurled over the airship, revealing what was assumed to be the aforementioned Storm King. The speaker looked slightly unsettled by the fact that none of the monsters looked even remotely impressed, but gathered his courage as he continued, "And now, to deliver the evil, evil message, put your hands and hooves together for _COMMANDER TEMPEST_!"

At this, a tall pony with sharp, cerulean eyes and a scar over her left eye emerged from inside the airship, magical sparks flying out of her forehead.

"Is…that a unicorn?" Twilight whispered in shock.

"I…think so," Spike confirmed. "But what happened to her horn?"

It was at this moment that the other three Princesses arrived, putting themselves between the monsters and the airship.

"Tempest, is it?" Celestia began, stepping forward as she attempted diplomacy. "How may we help you?"

Tempest smirked coldly as she replied, "Oh, I'm _so_ glad you asked. How about we start with your _complete and total surrender_?"

Right after those words left her mouth, someone teleported between the Princesses and Tempest, while Twilight meekly took her place alongside them.

"You must have spent your entire life under a rock if you think anyone here is going to fall for that," Vaati, looking regal yet threatening as a light but steady breeze flapped his hair and robes around enough to reinforce the effect.

Tempest quirked a mildly-surprised eyebrow. "And…just who, or _what_ , might you be?"

Vaati laughed, a pitiless chuckle that managed to send an involuntary shiver down Tempest's spine, though she did not show it. "Oh, I'm _so_ glad you asked. I am the one who will turn you and your ugly little doorstop here to stone unless you go crawling back inside your little hot-air balloon and run home to that cheap mockery of me you call a master."

Tempest's stump of a horn sparked dangerously as her eyes narrowed threateningly.

"Um, yeah, hi there," Twilight abruptly spoke up, standing rather hesitantly next to Vaati. "Princess of Friendship. Not exactly sure what's going on, but I know we can talk things out."

She tried to flash a friendly smile, but it was obviously strained in worry.

"Oh, goodie," Tempest replied with no visible emotion as she began to descend the ramp. "All four Princesses. Here's the deal, ladies. I need your magic. Give it up nicely, please, or we make it…"

She abruptly jumped back as a bolt of energy struck the ground where her hooves had been. She looked up angrily to see Vaati ready to cast again.

"The next one won't miss," the Prince of the Sky's voice was like ice.

Tempest glared back at him for a moment, but then her smug attitude returned. "Hmph. I was hoping you'd choose _difficult_."

Suddenly everyone's attention was diverted as a dozen other airships appeared overhead. Ponies gasped and screamed in fear.

"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" Maulgrim roared as hordes of hulking black monsters with white manes and spiked masks descended from the airships, landing all over the plaza. Some were unarmed, and others carried two-pronged spears and black shields. "There's the enemy, men! **_CHAAAARGE_**!"

Battle was joined all over the festival plaza as the panicked attendees scattered. The Storm Grunts quickly proved to be a worthy match even for the skilled Darknuts and powerfully-built Moblins as the battle quickly spilled over the whole plaza.

As he blasted a Storm Grunt aside with a fire spell, Shanzom noticed that some of the Grunts were trying to capture ponies and immediately cried, "Wizzrobes, defend the civilians! Nigellas, organize the evacuation! Take them to the Crystal Caves where our secondary base is! _NOW_!"

"Yessir!" Nigellas cried, trying to gain some control over the frenzied crowds.

Meanwhile, Vaati turned around to blast Tempest to stone, but the disabled unicorn moved first, leaping high into the air and kicking a black ball coated in green magical electricity at the Princesses. Cadance immediately threw up a shield around the four of them, and Vaati could not help but stare in shock as the Dark Crystal Orb inexorably dug its way through the shield and hit Cadance.

All of them gasped as Cadance immediately began turning into crystal.

"Cadance!" Celestia cried in horror.

"Ugh! I-I can't stop it!" were the last words Cadance uttered before she was completely crystallized.

Vaati's jaw dropped at this display of power, finally realizing Tempest was a very _serious_ threat. But the commander was already on the move, readying another Orb.

But Vaati anticipated it this time, summoning a massive horde of his infamous Eye Sentries before yelling, "Protect the Princesses!"

Tempest actually skidded to a halt as the Eyebats swarmed all around the remaining three Princesses, momentarily unsure of how to proceed.

This was all Vaati needed.

"Twilight, Luna! Listen to me!" Vaati cried over the din of the surrounding battle. "You and Celestia have to get out of here! They're after you!"

"No!" Celestia responded in a commanding tone. "I'm staying here! I have to protect my subjects for as long as I can! Vaati, take Luna and Twilight and head south beyond the Badlands! We need to seek help from the Queen of the Hippo…"

Celestia was suddenly interrupted as Tempest shot an explosion of raw magical energy at the Eyebat swarms, knocking most of them out of the sky where they lay twitching feebly in piles all around them, disoriented. Tempest wasted no time in kicking another Orb at them. Vaati and Luna quickly dodged, but Celestia hadn't noticed in time, her attention diverted by a particularly-brave Storm Grunt. Vaati, Twilight, and Luna watched in horror as Celestia immediately turned to crystal, her face immortalized in an expression of fear and disbelief.

"NO! _CELIE_!" Luna screamed, unable to look away.

"Luna!" Vaati cried, pulling at her shoulder. "Luna, we have to _go_!"

"LOOK OUT!" Twilight cried as Tempest sent another Dark Crystal Orb hurtling towards them.

Vaati immediately called upon the Triforce of Power and sent a holy bolt of energy at the Orb, and to the utter shock of Tempest, the Orb shattered into a million fragments on impact.

" _What_?! Those orbs are supposed to be magic-resistant!"

Power growing behind his words, Vaati boasted, "You'll find that I'm full of surprises. Case in point, _TO STONE WITH YOU_!"

However, Tempest was not without a few surprises of her own, and with amazing speed and grace, she avoided Vaati's most dangerous spell while simultaneously throwing another Orb at them. There wasn't enough time to dodge.

" _NOOO_!"

The Orb exploded, coating the victim in crystal. Tempest laughed in victory, but then stopped as she got a good look at the victim in question.

Vaati and Twilight would have recognized those misaligned eyes anywhere.

"D-Derpy!" Twilight gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth in horror.

"Enough of this!" Vaati cried, and before Tempest could act further, Vaati unleashed a huge gust of wind that caught her off-guard, sending her and numerous combatants flying. "Let's meet up with the others and get out of here!"

Twilight and Luna could only nod.

"Go, Vaati!" a familiar voice bellowed over the howling winds.

The three of them looked up to see Maulgrim having just slain a Storm Grunt, with Nigellas at his side. "We will cover your retreat!" the Darknut Lord declared.

"The civilians are evacuating through the Crystal Caves!" Nigellas cried. "Go with them and get the word out! All of Equestria needs to know what's happened here!"

"Are you sure about this?!" Vaati called out.

"We can handle these fools!" Maulgrim confidently rumbled. "And when you find Lady Rarity, tell her that her knight will always carry her in his heart! Now fly! Fly, you fools!"

Vaati and Maulgrim locked eyes for a moment before Vaati curtly nodded in abject respect. With that, Twilight, Vaati, and Luna began to weave their way through the surrounding battle, dodging Storm Grunts, monsters, and ponies as they went.

"Over here, y'all!" Applejack cried from where she and the rest of the Mane Six as well as Spike had gathered.

With the whole team together, they all made a break for it, rushing towards the entrance to the Crystal Mines as numerous Storm Grunts gave chase. They had just made it to a bridge over a huge waterfall when two armored Grunts blocked off their escape route.

Luna immediately shot a powerful beam of dark energy at the Grunts, but one raised its shield, and the beam reflected off its surface and rebounded on them, taking out the bridge beneath their feet.

Vaati, Luna, Spike, and the Mane Six all screamed as one as they all plunged hundreds of feet into the river below. They all coughed and gasped for breath as they surfaced, helpless against the strong current that carried them inexorably towards the edge.

All they could do was scream again as they plunged over the edge, disappearing into the waterfall as they fell thousands of feet.

Grubber, the diminutive grunt with the mike, looked over the edge alongside two Storm Grunts.

"Oh, this ain't good," he muttered worriedly. "Tempest isn't gonna like this...So, uh…which one of ya's going down there?"

The two Grunts growled in the negative.

"Okay, then one of ya's gonna hafta deliver the bad news," Grubber continued. "That's _two_ Princesses that got away."

The Grunts narrowed their eyes and loomed threateningly over him. "Uh…g-guess it's gonna be me then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: A New Journey**

Vaati and everyone else were currently hiding out on a riverbank far from Canterlot as Applejack fished her sopping wet hat out of the water and tossed it onto her head. "Everypony okay?"

Still somewhat disoriented, Rarity muttered, "I think my bottom's on backward."

"We just got our cupcakes handed to us by the worst party crasher _ever_!" Pinkie exclaimed, still in shock.

"We gotta go back there and fight!" Rainbow declared angrily. "The monsters are gonna need our help!"

"You saw the size of those goons!" Spike shot back. "Even the monsters were having trouble with them! You _seriously_ want to go back?"

"So now what?" Applejack asked. "We can't hide here forever, and let's be honest. We _can't_ go back."

"You're right. We can't."

The rest of the Mane Six turned to see Princess Luna joining them, with Vaati and Twilight right behind her, both looking pensive and worried.

"They're after the power of the Four Princesses," Luna continued gravely. "If we go back now, they will have it."

"You saw what those Crystal Orbs did to Celestia and Cadance," Vaati interjected. "We were lucky that the Triforce of Power is strong enough to destroy them, but I can't protect both of you at once."

"That is not the only reason," Luna replied. "There are more airships on the way. This is a large-scale invasion. We will need reinforcements if we are to retake Canterlot and prevent them from conquering more territory."

"And the only way to do that…" Vaati surmised.

"…would be to split up," Twilight finally spoke in a quiet, resigned voice.

Everyone looked mildly surprised that she had spoken. She'd been quiet since they had gotten out of the river. "Luna, Princess Celestia said something about getting help from the Queen of the Hippos. What did she mean by that?"

"Hippos?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"You know, I hear they're surprisingly graceful for their size, but they're always hungry!" Pinkie dropped a random fact on them, which was ignored by everyone save Spike, who repeated worriedly, "Hungry?"

"No, not Hippos," Luna corrected, turning her head towards the nearby river. "Hippogriffs. Half-pony, half-eagle, related to both ponies and Griffons. They live far past the Badlands in the Mysterious South, but we have not heard from them in many years."

"So Celestia wants us to find these Hippogriffs and bring them to our aid," Vaati clarified.

"B-but to do that would m-mean…leaving Equestria," Fluttershy whimpered.

"I'm not even packed!" Rarity gasped.

"I understand you're scared," Luna said. "And nopony else has to go. My sister left the task to me, so I will complete it alone, if I must."

"You're not serious, are you, Lulu?" Vaati replied. "There's no way in the Dark World I'm letting you go alone."

"I'll go too," Twilight vowed, regaining her determination. "The further both of us are away from Equestria, the safer we'll be."

"Then our course is clear," Vaati declared, looking up at the distant Canterlot, the stormclouds still gathered while airships continued to pour in more troops. "We need to find the Hippogriffs and warn the rest of Equestria about what's happening. Luna, Twilight, Spike, you three and I will head south and find the Hippogriffs. On the way we'll make contact with the Changelings in the Badlands and the Lizalfos Tribes in the Haysead Swamps. Meanwhile, Pinkie, I want you to go north. The Moblin Tribes make their homes on the grasslands not far from Cloudsdale. After you've delivered the message, go further north to the Crystal Empire and inform Prince Armor of the situation. Given what they've done to his wife, I'm sure he'll be more than eager to join the cause. Rainbow Dash, given you're by far the fastest out of all of us, I want you to go to Griffonstone and get help from the Griffons. They still owe us for saving them from Twinrova. Fluttershy, go to all the wilderness areas near Ponyville, like Rambling Rock Ridge and the Everfree Forest. Tell the Diamond Dogs that Equestria needs their help once more, and then find Volvagia and the Helmaroc King. We'll need their help against the enemy's airships. You know where Volvagia is, but the Helmaroc King, I believe, has made the Everfree Castle Ruins his lair. Rarity, I want you to go west. The Darknut city of Lupay is in the Smokey Mountains near Tall Tale. Rally their troops, as I'm certain they'll want to rescue their leader. Finally, Applejack, I want you to meet up with anyone who's managed to escape Canterlot and organize them into an effective militia. When we have all completed our objectives, we will lead all our armies to Ponyville, where we will prepare for the final assault on Canterlot."

"Um, Vaati, darling, are you sure splitting up is the smart thing to do?" Rarity asked uncertainly.

"He's right, Rarity," Twilight said. "We don't have a choice. We need all our friends and allies for this, and their territories are scattered all over Equestria."

"Also, the five of you are safer without us," Vaati pointed out. "Right now, all they care about is capturing Twilight and Luna. They'll completely ignore your activities, so you should all be able to get help without too much trouble."

After a moment of silence, the rest of the Mane Six all lightly nodded in grim acceptance before sharing a group hug with the others.

"Y'all take care'a yourselves, alright?" Applejack said.

"We'll all be back together before you know it!" Pinkie grinned, always cheerful despite the situation.

"Please be safe," Fluttershy whimpered. "We're all in this together."

"We'll all be fine," Rarity confidently said. "This is not the first time we've saved Equestria, after all."

"Don't you worry about me!" Rainbow declared smugly. "I'll be back with the Griffons before you guys can blink!"

"I love all of you," Twilight said, her voice breaking as unshed tears swam in her eyes. "Good luck."

"Remember," Vaati reminded them. "Once all our armies are rallied, we rendezvous at Ponyville. Good luck, everyone, and…" At this, Vaati actually looked a little sad. "May the way of the Triforce light your path."

They all tearfully smiled and embraced the Wind Mage as well, who for once just sighed and said nothing, accepting it without complaint.

After they broke apart, Applejack sighed in resignation. "Well…let's do this, y'all."

They all muttered melancholy farewells and finally all split up, walking or flying away from each other to each save Equestria in their own way. And every one of them felt a keener sense of loss with every step they took, glancing frequently over their shoulders until they all finally lost sight of one another.

XXXXXX

 _Canterlot_ …

It had been a very long, very difficult battle for everyone involved. But in the end, with more and more Storm Grunts pouring into the city, it had just become impossible to hold it. To make matters worse, the bridge that led to the secret entrance to the Crystal Caves had been taken out, making an evacuation impossible. In a last-ditch effort to save as many allies and civilians as possible, Shanzom and his Wizzrobes had all mass-teleported away, taking all the surviving monsters and as many ponies as they could with them to parts unknown.

But many others had been left behind.

These unlucky ponies were now being led in chains by the victorious forces of the Storm King, grunting and laughing as they randomly wrecked party supplies in the process.

Observing it all from the castle balcony, Commander Tempest scoffed, turning away from the scene. "All this power, wasted on _parties_."

She walked into the throne room, passing by the crystallized forms of Celestia and Cadance as her horn sparked. "When there are far _greater_ uses."

Two Grunts promptly entered the room, one carrying a glowing bottle of potion that was belting out a ringtone like a cellphone.

"Well?" Tempest snapped when the Grunts hadn't done anything further. "Answer it!"

The Grunt popped the cork and poured the potion into a sieve, covering their faces and stepping back in reverence as the wispy form of their fearsome leader took shape.

" _Where am I supposed to be looking_?" the Storm King spoke irritably, his forehead obscured as he looked around. " _I never understand how this spell works._ _ **TEMPEST**_!"

"Over here, Your Excellency," Tempest called out in a world-weary voice.

" _Where_?" the Storm King grunted, still not quite in focus.

"Over here."

" _Huh_?"

"No. No, right. Look right."

" _My right_?" the Storm King asked, his face finally visible.

"Yep," Tempest affirmed.

" _Oh, there you are. Here's the deal, I'm in the middle of a big rebrand here. "The Storm King" is tracking well as 'intensely intimidating'. But you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with? A STORM! That'd be great! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now I'm holding a what? A branch? A twig? Bluh_!"

"That would be the Staff of Sacanas, Your Excellency," Tempest replied, reining in her annoyance at having to repeat this information _yet again_. "And it will channel the magic of the four rulers of this land. You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies."

" _So that would be a 'yes' on you locking down the four pegacornicuses or whatever you call them_?"

"Give me three days," Tempest vowed. "I'll have everything ready for your arrival."

" _Remember, Tempest_ ," the Storm King growled. " _Only I have the power to make you whole. Make this twig work, and you'll get your reward. Fail me, and your horn won't be the only thing that's broken_."

"It won't be a problem."

The Storm King immediately perked up, but the spell appeared to be starting to break down. " _Great! I'm ready to power up, crash and bash, and be the biggest, baddest bugaloo_!"

The spell abruptly fizzled out, taking the Storm King with it.

"Sorry, bad spell service," Grubber apologized. "Ya want me to call him back?"

"Do you have the other two Princesses?" Tempest asked instead.

Grubber immediately broke out in a nervous sweat. "Uh, well, funny story. It kinda seems like they…may or may not've, y'know, _gotten away_ …a little bit."

Tempest just glared at him.

"They…kinda got help from that weird guy with the horns. Kinda reminded me'a the Storm King a bit, y'know, but…he's already got the power to back it up."

Tempest continued to silently glare.

"Look, I know you're disappointed. But I got one word for you. Spongecake."

He promptly held up the aforementioned confectionary.

He was promptly zapped with magical electricity for his trouble.

"I need _all four_ for the Staff to work!" Tempest stressed, glaring up at the two thrones.

"Hey, I know!" Grubber replied, trying to be helpful. "I want the Storm King to fix that crazy horn as badly as you do! It looks like a crackly, chipped tooth on the top of your head, and you know ya don't look good in hats."

Tempest whirled on him, magic sparking out of her horn in dangerous amounts. "Those Princesses are not gonna keep me from getting my horn back! _Prepare my ship_!"

"Yipe! R-right away!" Grubber yelped, running off.

Tempest sighed, forcing down her temper. "Please…how far can those cake-stuffed idiots get on their own?"

XXXXXX

As it so happens, they were actually making good progress.

Vaati, Luna, Twilight, and Spike stopped first in Appleloosa, purchasing more water and food. Then they ventured into the Haysead Swamps just far enough to reach the main settlement where the various Lizalfos tribes came together to meet and trade.

XXXXXX

 _Volga Village_ …

Lizalfos, Dinolfos, and Darkhammers all nodded in respect as Vaati and his entourage made their way into the center of the village, where the chiefs would meet this time of year to discuss inter-tribal matters.

"Well, well, well," a familiar Aerolfos declared as they entered the meeting hall. "Prince Vaati. It's been a long time. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Vaati inclined his head in respect, understanding now that such things were common courtesy amongst royalty, to imply equal standing between one another. "Hail, Sul-Kat-Na, Son of Dragons. Hail, wise Chiefs of the Lizalfos Clans."

The chiefs of the Gecko Lizalfos, Iguana Lizalfos, Dinolfos, Daira, and Darkhammer tribes, seated around Sul-Kat-Na, inclined their heads as well.

Given that Vaati was more experienced with monsters, Luna and Twilight let Vaati do the talking.

"I come on behalf of Equestria," Vaati began. "A new foe calling himself the Storm King launched a surprise attack on Canterlot Castle yesterday. Two of the Princesses were captured, and they are set on conquering all our lands and peoples. We need your help."

The other chieftains began to talk among themselves, hissing, spitting, and clicking in their own reptilian language before Sul-Kat-Na held up a hand to quiet them. Leaning forward in his seat, the Aerolfos chieftain and High Chief of the Lizalfos spoke in a measured tone unusual for lizardkind.

"Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship…two years ago, you made me a promise. You vowed you would free us all from the curse of Demise. To bring our peoples, long-bathed in darkness, back to the light." He paused for effect. "You kept that promise. We owe our entire livelihoods to you. To repay that debt, we will follow you into the gaping maw of the Dark World itself, if need be. And we will do it because we _choose_ to, not because we _have_ to."

Twilight smiled in elation as Sul-Kat-Na leaned back in his seat. "Your call to arms has been answered. The Lizalfos will fly to your aid."

XXXXXX

 _Changeling Hive, several hours later_ …

"The Storm King, you say?" Queen Chrysalis spoke from her throne as several of her Changelings milled about, listening to the exchange.

Sometime after Ganon's defeat, the Changelings had interacted so much with the Equestrians that they had figured out how to share their own love with one another instead of merely consuming it. The news had traveled quickly through the Hive, and before long the Changelings had started changing form, losing their withered, black appearance for something far more colorful and pleasant to look at. Chrysalis, at first, had been resistant to the idea, as it meant that her minions would gain some independence of their own. But that all changed when they began to share their love with her. Realizing that the Hive was still loyal to her, Chrysalis broke down and truly accepted the power of love into her heart, changing along with them. She now was white with an iridescent shade of green in her carapace. Her mane and tail were still green, but her gossamer wings now looked much more fairy-like, and her legs no longer had holes in them. As a result, she had ceased to be so rude and condescending to everyone around her, and thus became easier for foreign dignitaries to deal with.

"I've heard some about him," Chrysalis continued.

"What can you tell us?" Luna asked, maintaining her diplomatic politeness.

"From what I've heard," Chrysalis explained, idly eating a heart fruit from one of their life-giver plants, "he's been gathering power and influence for years down in the south. Once he gained possession of an artifact called the Staff of Sacanas, he made his bid for Equestria."

"What's the Staff of Sacanas?" Twilight asked, having never heard of it despite all the books she had read.

"It's apparently a staff that was made specifically as a countermeasure against you alicorns," Chrysalis answered. "It drains your magical power much like Tirek did, and whoever controls the staff would have the combined powers of all four of you at their disposal."

"So that's why they're after us," Luna surmised grimly.

"Does this… _Storm King_ ," Vaati asked derisively, "have _any_ power of his own?"

Chrysalis smirked. "As it so happens, no. Without the staff, he's just a giant monkey with an even bigger ego."

Vaati shared her grin. "I thought so. Just a wannabe who wants to cash in on my reputation."

"I've heard, though, that he's got a good-sized army at his disposal," Chrysalis pointed out. "Can I assume you're here because you need our help?"

"Yes," Luna responded, and she got down on her knees and bowed humbly. "I know that the history between our peoples is colored, and even though we've more than made up for it, I humbly apologize regardless for not offering your people friendship sooner."

Chrysalis sighed and answered with blunt honesty, "Before Canterlot, I would have been too proud and arrogant to accept it. But that doesn't matter anymore. You need our help. You have it."

Luna smiled as she stood up straight. "On behalf of the Royal Family of Equestria, I thank you, Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings."

"Lead your forces to Ponyville," Vaati informed. "That is where everyone is supposed to rendezvous before we launch the assault upon the Storm King's forces."

Chrysalis stood up from her throne and inclined her head to the other royals. "We'll be there."

XXXXXX

With both the Changelings and Lizalfos now alerted to the threat of the Storm King, the four of them now trekked across the vast deserts of the Badlands. All of them were sweating and panting, too exhausted to fly any longer. Vaati sighed heavily as he took out one of the canteens, cooled it with some light ice magic, and took a long swig of it before passing it over to the others. The canteen was returned to him empty.

"We've got three full canteens left," Vaati panted. "I don't know if that will be enough to get across the whole desert."

Luna coughed a little. "And it's too dry here for water magic. Not enough moisture in the air, and we've yet to encounter any oases since we left Changeling territory."

"We just…have to keep going," Twilight wheezed.

"Ugh," Spike groaned, his tongue hanging out. "Sand…nothing but sand." He plopped to the ground, exhausted and dehydrated. "Nothing but sand…and this rock…and this road…"

Suddenly the others all perked up.

"Road?" Vaati asked as they all looked down at their feet.

Indeed they had just ventured across a cobblestone path that led into the distance.

"L-look!" Twilight marveled, depositing Spike on her back. "A city!"

Looming over them, partially obscured by a passing sandstorm, was a huge but dilapidated city-structure arranged in a vaguely tree-like shape. It looked like more and more buildings had just been piled on top of one another over the years, creating an almost-steampunk atmosphere. Steam and smoke billowed out from various places, and a number of airships were anchored on the top levels or coming and going with goods.

"It looks more like a dump," Vaati coughed, unimpressed.

"Be wary," Luna said as she took the lead. "There are all manner of thieves, pirates, and other disreputable individuals who call this place home. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Take care not to draw attention to yourselves."

"We should be especially careful," Vaati agreed. "According to Chrysalis, the Storm King has been gaining influence down south. This place could already be under his heel."

He and Luna both took off all their royal jewelry and stowed it away. Luna, meanwhile, summoned a cloak and wrapped it around herself, hiding her face beneath a hood. Catching on to what she was doing, Vaati drew his hood up around his own head.

Twilight and Spike gulped and fell in behind Vaati and Luna as they hiked towards the city.

XXXXXX

A pair of Bokoblins snorted laughter as they stuffed a freshly-caught bird in a cage as Vaati and his group passed by.

"Don't worry," one Bokoblin snickered mockingly. "We'll let ya go."

"To the highest bidder!" the other Bokoblin cackled.

"Hmmm…interesting," Vaati observed, just loudly enough for the others to hear. "There's monsters all the day down here too."

"I hope they're still friendly," Spike gulped nervously, his eyes darting around.

"Ooh, hey, you with the horn!" a rat-faced creep behind a stall hissed at Twilight. "You _selling_?"

Vaati immediately got in the rat-man's face, his red eyes just barely visible beneath his hood. " _No_ part of her is for sale," he spoke softly but menacingly. "Speak to her again and your life is _forfeit_."

The rat-man whimpered incoherently in reply, and Vaati curled his lip in disgust as he smelled a distinctive, ammonia-like aroma before leaving the creep to his business.

"So what's the plan here?" Vaati asked lowly, keeping his eyes on the passing crowds.

"The Hippogriffs live on Mount Aris, further south," Luna explained just as quietly. "It's a long way yet. It might be prudent to secure ourselves an airship."

"How?" Vaati asked. "All the captains are likely pirates who might try to hold us for ransom or even turn us in to the Storm King."

Luna smirked at him. "Do you really think a few pirates can possibly do much against two alicorns and the Sorcerer of Winds?"

Vaati grinned back before kissing her on the nose. "Point taken."

None of them saw a cat-man dressed in an old red trenchcoat take notice of them from where he stood by a stall. He swore he had seen the trademark gleam of gold hidden in the folds of the tall stranger's robes, which looked pretty fancy themselves. He also couldn't help but notice that the smaller pony without the hood had both wings _and_ a horn. While he admittedly wasn't in Equestria much, he knew enough to know that a pony like that was unusual. There was also what appeared to be a baby dragon accompanying them.

"Interesting…" the cat-man muttered to himself, scratching his chin.

It seemed, however, that he wasn't the only one who had seen the glint of Vaati's horned crown sequestered in his robes. They all stopped as a large fish-man who vaguely resembled a River Zora got in their way.

"Hey, miss," the brute rumbled with a lecherous grin. "Someone like you don't belong in a place like this. That's a mighty-fine crown you're hidin' under them folds, by the way."

Vaati's eyes flashed as he took a threatening step forward. "Choose your next words very carefully, brute. I am _not_ to be trifled with."

The fish-man recoiled a bit. "Whoa, you're a _guy_?!"

"Hey, that's some nice robes ya got, miss!" a turtle-like individual chuckled menacingly as a crowd began to grow around them. "How 'bout ya…take 'em all off? I'll pay ya good for 'em…extra if ya give us a _show_ , hyeh heh heh…"

Twilight and Spike recoiled in disgust. Luna's eyes narrowed, and a light wind began to blow around the Wind Mage as more and more creatures gathered around them. "You want a _show_?" Vaati growled, his teeth sharpening. "I can give you a _show_ , if you want. One you will _never forget_."

"Vaati, not here!" Luna hissed, putting a hoof on Vaati's arm in an effort to calm him down.

"How much for the giant gecko?!" someone in the crowd demanded.

"What?" Twilight spoke nervously. "Spike's not for sale."

"How much for your horn, pony?" another individual called out.

" _What_?!"

"You know, we could just take all of it, if ya won't hand it over," the fish-man sneered. "That'd be fine too."

Magic sparked in Vaati's hands and Luna's horn. "I _dare_ you to try," Vaati growled.

But before a fight could break out, someone abruptly jumped down between them and threw his hands up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the cat-man cried. "Back up! Back it up! Y'all in some serious danger!"

"This ain't any business'a _yours_ , Capper!" the fish-man snapped angrily.

"Now just hold on, friend!" Capper declared, pointing at the fish-man. "You didn't touch any of them, did you? Just look at all those colors! And that lady's hair!" Vaati was close to fuming by this point, but Capper didn't seem to notice. "You think that's _natural_?"

He then whispered conspiratorially, "They're infected with _pastelus coloritis_."

The crowd all gasped in shock and horror, totally buying it.

"Now hang on!" Twilight began, stepping forward. "I've studied all kinds of diseases, and I know for a fact that…"

She was promptly silenced as Capper covered her mouth with his tail.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Capper declared, regaining control of the situation. "As long as you're not covered in purple splotches…" As he said this, his tail flicked several drops of some spilled purple paint on the fish-man without him noticing. "…you'll be fine! Uh-oh."

The fish-man yelped, looking all over his body with terror. " _Whu_?! _Whuuu-uuugh_! What do I _do_?!"

"Enjoy your last moments," Capper replied sympathetically. "And don't touch anyone. Because parts _will_ fall off."

" ** _AAGH_**! MY **_PARTS_**!" the fish-man screamed as he and the crowd immediately scattered and fled, leaving the five of them alone.

"Well, alright then," Capper coolly replied, straightening his jacket.

"Capper, was it?" Luna abruptly spoke. "Thank you for your help."

Capper chuckled lightly. "Nah, nah, don't thank me. Y'all looked like you were in a spot 'o trouble, so I decided to be a good Samaritan and help ya out. Now…what're a couple'a royals like you doing out in a place like this?"

Vaati sighed as he lowered his hood and put his crown back on his head. "It's a long story and no business of yours."

"Now, now, now, there's no need to be that way!" Capper chided good-naturedly. "Maybe I can help y'all, uh…"

"Twilight Sparkle," Twilight abruptly introduced, leaving out their royal titles. "This is Spike, Luna, and Vaati."

Capper smiled and inclined his head. "Well, it's very nice to meet y'all. Are you _sure_ you don't need my help?"

Vaati thought for a moment before gesturing for the others to huddle around him.

"I don't trust him," Vaati immediately said. "I can almost _smell_ the oil in his voice."

"I don't either," Luna agreed. "However, there's no denying things would have gotten unnecessarily complicated had it not been for him."

"I'm more than capable of handling these infantile thugs," Vaati growled. "And how _dare_ they think I'm a woman!"

"You gotta admit it was pretty awesome how he handled those guys!" Spike spoke in Capper's defense.

"Look, we don't have to trust him," Twilight whispered. "But he might still be able to help us! What if he knows something about the Hippogriffs? Or better yet, what if he knows someone who can get us an airship?"

Vaati sighed. "I suppose you have a point. And if he tries to betray us, I can always just turn him to stone."

Unbeknownst to them, Capper, being a cat, could hear every word they said, and gulped at the last part. He knew then he was going to have to tread _very carefully_ with these guys.

And unbeknownst to any of them, those two Bokoblins from earlier had been watching everything take place with looks of dumbfounded confusion.

"Think we should tell the Baron 'bout this?" one Bokoblin asked.

"Yeah," the other one muttered. "I think he'd wanna know if Lord Vaati was in town."

XXXXXX

Capper led the fugitives of the Royal Family throughout the city until they reached what appeared to be an old, run-down windmill.

"Welcome, my royal guests, to my humble little manor," he proclaimed as he led them inside through a former cellar door. "Pardon the state 'o my litter box. I wasn't expectin' company."

Vaati, Twilight, Luna, and Spike all took a look at their surroundings as Capper went off into another room. While the place was somewhat cluttered, it wasn't necessarily a bad place to live. There were tons of shelves, some of which contained books, immediately catching Twilight's attention. Capper soon came back into the living room.

"So how might I be able to help y'all?" Capper asked them.

"We need an airship to get us to Mount Aris," Vaati replied. "We'd simply fly there ourselves were we not already exhausted from how far we've come as it is."

"Mount Aris, huh?" Capper repeated. "Now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to find the Hippogriffs."

"You know about the Hippogriffs?" Twilight asked.

Capper awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Trouble is, they were some 'o the first victims of the Storm King's world-conquerin' campaign. No one knows what's become of 'em since."

Luna stomped a hoof in dismay. "Curses! We should have thought of that," she hissed to herself.

"Now, they _might_ still be there on Mount Aris," Capper offered. "Nobody knows for sure. You need an airship? I can get you one."

Before any of them could inquire on whatever catch there might be, someone abruptly knocked on the front door. Twilight and Spike gasped, fearing they might have been found.

"Now that's weird," Capper muttered worriedly, going over to answer it. "I ain't expecting anyone else…"

As soon as Capper opened the door, he grinned weakly and stepped back as two fox-men in dusty cloaks and leather armor barged inside, looking rather unhappy.

"Fellas, fellas, fellas," Capper held up his hands in a way meant to be placating. "Whatever could your baron want with me now?"

" _You tell me, Capper_ ," a rough voice spoke as a third fox-man entered the house.

The new fox-man was wearing a light brown hood through which his ears protruded, which were pierced with several loops of gold. Three black-tipped tails trailed out from under his green cloak. Capper chuckled nervously as Vaati and the others quietly poked their heads out from the next room to see what was going on.

"A little birdie told me you're harboring some very _special_ guests," the third fox-man said. "I thought I told you that _nothing_ in this town escapes my eyes."

Vaati and Twilight couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Aren't those… _Keatons_?!" Twilight whispered.

"Not just _any_ Keatons," Vaati muttered, watching the exchange play out. "The one with the earrings…I know who he is."

"The Storm King's goons are tearing this town apart lookin' for them, you know," the Keaton leader continued, his narrow eyes boring holes in Capper.

"Look," Capper sighed, defeated. "Look, I know I owe you a lotta money, Baron, but surely you don't plan on handin' them fine folks over to the Storm King? I thought you hated the guy!"

"That depends on your answer," the Baron said, his voice like steel. "Are. They. _Here_?"

Vaati knew it was coming.

"Yeah," Capper sighed again. "Yeah, they're here."

The Baron promptly smirked. "I'm glad to hear you say that. Because I already _knew_ they were." He then looked right over at where they were poking their heads out. "Come on out, Lord Vaati! Even you know better than to hide from the likes of the Keaton Cartel!"

Knowing the jig was up, Vaati and the others came out, joining them with tense expressions. "It's been a long time since we did business together, hasn't it, Prince Vaati?" the Keaton Baron greeted them.

"You're certainly a sight for sore eyes…Baron Wosu," Vaati replied.

The air was thick with tension as they stared one another down…

And then Baron Wosu chuckled in amusement, dispelling it. "When I heard you, of all people, were in town, I just had to drop in and say hi."

"Wait, wait," Capper interrupted, surprised at the sudden change as he looked between them. "You two _know_ each other?"

"Once upon a time, members of my Cartel, myself included, worked for this man," Wosu explained. "I wouldn't be where I am now had it not been for him and that little purple pony next to him."

Realizing that there was no danger here, everyone finally relaxed as one of Wosu's bodyguards discreetly went outside to stand guard and shut the door behind him.

"So this is where the Cartel has set up shop," Vaati said, folding his arms. "No wonder you Keatons have been so hard to find since we killed Demise."

"In a town like this, business is booming," Wosu replied smugly. "The Keaton Cartel quickly climbed up the ranks, eliminating the worst of the local gangs and making the others our informants and business partners. Now we're on top of the food chain." He grinned as he spread his arms out wide. "This whole town answers to me more than it answers to the Storm King. Now, speaking of which…what might you and your lovely wife be doing in a place like this?"

"Equestia was just attacked by the Storm King," Vaati answered. "He conquered Canterlot and has taken Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance captive."

" _Hmmm_ ," Wosu growled in his throat, contemplating. "Just like Ganon."

"After the attack, we split up to go rally all the other monsters while we find the Hippogriffs," Luna explained.

"My friends are all over Equestria, trying to get all the friends and allies we've made on board with this," Twilight said, missing her friends. "But our mission is even more important."

"Uh, didn't you say the Storm King's goons were looking for us?" Spike abruptly spoke up in concern.

Wosu's expression became grim. "Aye, that I did. Commander Tempest is here with them, browbeating the townsfolk for information. And I hate to say it, but they're probably already on their way here."

"Then we need to go," Vaati answered, urgency in his voice. "We need to get an airship and get to Mount Aris."

Wosu thought for a moment before glancing at the awkwardly-waiting Capper. "Capper."

"Uh, yes, Baron?" Capper uncertainly asked.

"Do yourself a favor and make sure my royal friends here get an airship. Do that, and I'll wipe your debts clean."

Capper gasped. "Y-you mean it?"

"I'm a fox of my word, cat. Now…"

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing the Keaton bodyguard from before, looking alarmed.

"Sir, we have a problem!"

Suddenly blue magical electricity flashed from behind the bodyguard, launching him into the house where he crashed to the ground, groaning in pain. Twilight gasped as the culprit chuckled darkly.

"Tempest!" Twilight cried.

" ** _You_** ," Vaati growled, a demonic undertone coloring his voice.

The armored unicorn, flanked by two Storm Grunts, smirked evilly as she stepped into the house. "I found you at last. Did you really think you could hide from us here?"

"Commander Tempest, I presume?" Baron Wosu said, smoothly putting himself between Tempest and her targets.

"Don't make this difficult for yourself," Tempest replied lowly, her eyes narrowed and her horn sparking. "Step aside."

Wosu chuckled without any trace of fear. "You think you or your phony king are in charge here? Let me give you a little hint, little errand-pony…" Vaati's eyes widened as he saw a familiar nut slip out of Wosu's sleeve into his hand. "This…is _my town_!"

" _COVER YOUR EYES_!" Vaati yelled right before Wosu smashed the Deku Nut against the floor, creating a blinding flash of light.

"Oh sweet Faust, my eyes!" Capper cried in agony, rubbing his eyes.

Tempest screamed, her eyes burning as she recoiled, blinded. Her guards covered their faces and roared in pain, rolling on the ground. With them momentarily distracted, Wosu whirled around and yelled, "GO! We'll cover you!"

He then put a hand on the bodyguard who was still conscious. "Tell the rest of the Cartel it's time to remind the Storm King who _really_ runs this town!"

Meanwhile, Tempest howled with rage as her horn went out of control, electric-blue magical volts flashing all over the place as she tried to blindly hit _someone_. Vaati knew they had to go while they still had the chance. With a powerful burst of dark magic, Vaati, for the first time since the final battle against Ganon two years ago, took shape as the fearsome winged eye and grabbed the still-blinded Capper with a golden claw before throwing himself out the window, taking out a good-sized chunk of the wall in the process.

" _Luna, Twilight, let's_ _ **GO**_!"

Luna dispelled her cloak and took flight as well, while Spike jumped onto Twilight's back before she too flew out the Vaati-shaped hole in the wall.

Tempest's vision finally managed to clear enough to where she could see that both her targets and her Keaton assailants were gone.

Tempest let out a scream of pure rage.

"Tempest, Tempest, Tempest!" Grubber cried out, waddling up to her. "I saw 'em! I saw 'em! They're headin' for the shipyards!"

Tempest gritted her teeth in anger, her horn sparking yet again. "Tell our troops to cut them off! **_NOW_**!"

"Uh, that's gonna be a bit of a problem…"

" ** _WHY_**." Tempest whirled around and got right in Grubber's face, her expression outright psychotic. " ** _WHY_** is that a problem?"

Mustering every inch of willpower he had not to wet himself on the spot, Grubber whimpered, "C-cuz these weird fox guys are startin' to come outta nowhere all over the town and they're attackin' our troops!"

" ** _RRRAAAAAAGH_**!" Tempest screamed almost madly as she took off towards the docks.

Grubber stared at her retreating back worriedly. "Wow. She is not havin' a good day."

 **XXXXXX000XXXXXX**

 **And that's the second chapter down, and I've already started on the third one. Bet you didn't see this coming, did you, splitting up the Mane Six instead of keeping them together? Well, how else are they going to rally all the other side characters that have appeared in the series? (that was my only beef about the movie, that none of the side characters like Discord, Gilda, and Thorax had any involvement)**

 **I've been wanting to introduce Baron Wosu for a while, and I knew that that airship town in the Badlands would be the perfect place for an organization like the Keaton Cartel to set up shop, so this is where I decided to introduce him. Don't worry, this is not the last you'll see of the Baron. And we will soon see how the rest of the Mane Six are doing, and luckily for them, they got the easy jobs.**

 **Or did they?**


End file.
